Yes, Today! Yay!

I didn’t dream it would be so soon after my last post, but the weather this afternoon was so sublime, and my back felt pretty darn stable, so today was the first real ride in six months for Bella and me. Hurray! It wasn’t a very long one, and we took it at an easy walk, but it was definitely a “real” ride as compared to the few other “test drives” I’ve taken in the last few weeks, all of which have lasted only five minutes or less.

At one point Bella said she was feeling good and would like to do a little trotting and twirling, but I said no, that I couldn’t do that kind of thing yet and so instead we would go up to the casita and get our picture taken for our blog. Being her perfect princess self, she said “ok” and ferried me up there smoothly and then stood dutifully still for our portrait. She then walked sedately back to the barn so as not to disturb my back. Well . . . maybe she took about four steps at a trot, but when I reminded her I wasn’t quite up to that yet she geared back down to her lovely long walking stride.

(If you’re wondering what those cloppy things are on Bella’s front feet, they are Cavallo “Simple” boots. I am dedicated to keeping all my horses barefoot for hoof-health reasons, so Bella wears these when we ride in any rough terrain — which most of ours is. I’ve tried other boots before and love these best. VERY easy to put on and off, and very tough — I highly recommend them.)

I guess today’s ride may not seem like that big a deal to most, but if you’re a horse nut like I am, and have the kind of relationship I have with Bella, and are deprived of fulfilling that partnership for months on end, it is a HUGE moment when you can literally “get back on the horse.” Bella agreed wholeheartedly, and got lots of bites of carrots as a reward, and even got to stay out loose on the property after our ride while I put up a little chicken wire in the hen yard where the new chicks have been coming and going out into the real world.

Bella came and observed the chicks for a bit, then ate all the beautiful soft native grasses I had growing in a barrel next to the barn, then ambled off to explore further. She was very proud of herself for being such a good babysitter to her mom, and I was very proud of myself because I felt a real shift in my fear factor today, and THAT is a big deal!